Yes, I love pickles this spring!
Quick pickling of vegetables is easy. However, despite their simplicity, they add a lot to a recipe.
I recently focused my recipe sharing on them: quick pickling Onions, quick pickling carrot strips, and today, quick pickling cucumber slices.
Quick pickle slices with traditional pickles
While only some make or eat quick pickled carrots or Onions regularly, most of us have eaten pickled cucumbers.
When we say or hear “pickle,” we usually mean a pickle.
There are many kinds of cucumber pickles, including dill pickles, kosher pickles, sweet pickles, tortilla pickles, and bread and butter pickles.
I like all the pickles above. But the quick pickle slices I will share today are a little different.
Traditional kimchi is made from a canned bath. This allows them to last a long time. Their long storage significantly deepens their flavor.
These quick pickle slices can be made by pouring a warm, homemade brine over them and storing them in the refrigerator. Instant kimchi is sometimes referred to as “refrigerator kimchi.”
The result is cucumber slices that can be eaten in 30 minutes. Its taste is strong and salty but more muscular than traditional kimchi.
How to make pickle slices quickly
You’re probably already familiar with my process if you’ve seen some of my other kitchen-themed content recently.
If you don’t have one or’d like a refresher, here are the steps for making my favorite quick pickle slices.
Step 1: Slice the cucumber
I recommend using a variety of seedless cucumbers here. I mostly use seedless English cucumbers to prepare this recipe.
You don’t need to peel cucumbers to make this dish. However, it would help if you created thin horizontal slices. My goal is 1/16 inch / 2 mm thick.
The microtome will make this task especially easy. But you can also carefully cut thin slices with a paring knife.
Step 2: Make a pickling solution
In this case, the liquid mixture is simple: water, vinegar, salt, and sugar.
Technically, you can pour this mixture over cucumber slices, transfer them to the refrigerator, and let them marinate cold.
If you pour hot pickles over them, the quick pickles will go faster. I usually mix hot water and vinegar in a small saucepan or microwave them for 2 minutes.
Then, I dissolved the salt and sugar into the hot mixture.
Step 3: Pour water over the cucumber
Once your pickling solution is ready, pour it over the cucumber slices and start pickling.
Step 4: Store
Let the cucumber slices soak in the hot liquid for about 30 minutes. Then cover them and put them in the fridge.
These slices will last up to two weeks, giving you ample time to use them in different dishes.
What kind of container should I use?
I like to make quick pickles at home in a wide-mouthed, 16-ounce (1 pint, or 480 ml) mason jar. Its mouth is wide enough to add my hot liquid quickly, and its size can accommodate a variety of vegetable shapes.
That said, any container with an airtight lid will do. Leave at least an inch of overhead space at the top.
Do you need to add sugar?
Last week, as I laid out pickled carrot ribbons, a reader asked me if I needed cane sugar in the recipe. She said she didn’t like sweet pickles very much.
The answer is no—sucrose is not necessary. You can omit it from this recipe and my other quick pickle recipes.
Having said all that, I think you’ll find that the pickles here have a very small amount of sugar (only 2 teaspoons for the whole recipe), not enough on its own to make a sweet pickle.
Quick-pickling cucumber slices don’t taste like bread and butter pickles or sweet pickle seasonings.
The sugar is only there to help balance the sour taste of apple cider vinegar.
It’s the same reason I add a small amount of maple syrup to my vinaigrette. The goal is not to make something too salty and sweet (although I do like salty/sweet flavor combinations) but to keep the flavors of the recipes in tune with each other.
How to pickle cucumber slices quickly
My favorite thing to do is to stack these crunchy flakes in a sandwich. What an exciting addition they are!
Cucumbers can also be used as toast toppings —try piling them on avocado toast for a contrast in texture and flavor.
Ingredients
1/2 seedless cucumber
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or unseasoned rice vinegar (120ml)
3/4 cup water (180ml)
2 teaspoons sucrose
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 TSP mustard seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Using a vegetable slicer or a sharp chef’s knife, slice the cucumber crosswise (ideally 1/16 inch / 2mm, or as close to that size as possible).
- Place the slices in a 1 pint / 480ml glass bottle. If desired, add the mustard seeds to the jar.
- Stir vinegar and water in a heat-proof measuring cup. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, then stir in the sugar and salt. Alternatively, microwave the water and vinegar for 2 minutes, then stir in the sugar and salt until they dissolve.
- Pour the hot pickling liquid over the cucumber slices in the jar. Drown them completely.
- Let the slices sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use immediately, or cover the jar tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
